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Quote of the day by Isha Ambani: ‘Our generation relies on internet for referencing, the generation after us will...'
Isha Ambani envisions a future where technology fosters individual growth, moving away from traditional teaching to accommodate the unique pace of each student.
In a landscape often dominated by corporate metrics, Isha Ambani — who is a part of the executive leadership teams at Reliance Retail, Reliance Jio, Reliance Foundation, Reliance Foundation Institution of Education and Research, and Dhirubhai Ambani International School — shifted the focus to the cognitive evolution of the next generation during a 2024 interview with Vogue India. Also read | Quote of the day by Anant Ambani: ‘There are many people in more pain than me hence I am grateful to God for everything’
Isha Ambani’s observations centre on a fundamental shift in how humans interact with information. The billionaire heiress noted that while her parents' generation relied on physical libraries, her generation relies on the internet for reference, and the next generation will experience a far more intimate relationship with technology.
What did Isha Ambani say?
Isha Ambani said, "The world is changing rapidly and schools need to change along with it. For our parents’ generation, libraries were a source of information. Our generation relies on the internet for referencing. The generation after us will have access to artificial intelligence outside their bodies. What is going to be the role of the human brain? Today, it’s common in schools to see two teachers with a set of 30 students. In schools that have the budget and resources, you might see three to four. Their idea is to slot kids into groups and deliver a customised learning experience based on their capabilities. But shouldn’t every child learn at their own pace? How can we deliver education one-to-one rather than a one- to-15 ratio? What are schools of the future going to look like? These are questions I’m wildly excited about finding answers to."
Why does Isha Ambani's quote matter?
As the daughter of India's most prominent industrialist family – her father Mukesh Ambani is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries and mother Nita Ambani is a philanthropist and businesswoman who serves as the chairperson of the Reliance Foundation – Isha's comment touches on critical shifts in the global educational landscape.
As a leader of one of India's largest philanthropic and corporate entities, her focus on 'budget and resources' suggests a goal to move these advanced 1:1 ratios beyond elite private schools. The challenge she poses is how to use AI to democratise the kind of bespoke education previously available only to the ultra-wealthy.
By describing AI as 'outside their bodies', Isha highlights that AI will no longer be a tool we 'go to' (like a library or a Google search), but a constant, ambient layer of intelligence. This forces a rethink of cognitive offloading — if AI handles the 'referencing', the human brain must shift its focus toward high-level synthesis, ethics, and emotional intelligence. Isha also argues that technology can finally make hyper-personalisation possible - if an AI tutor can adapt to a single child's pace, the 'factory model' of education can become obsolete.
Isha has two brothers: her twin, Akash Ambani, and younger brother, Anant Ambani. Isha and her husband, Anand Piramal of the Piramal Group, a massive diversified conglomerate in India, have two children: twins named Aadiya and Krishna, who were born in 2022.
